Definitions
01a boundary or restriction
B1 · Intermediate Countable noun
n. the greatest amount or level of something that is allowed or possible.
n. the final or furthest point, edge, or boundary beyond which something does not or may not extend.
日本語:限界、制限※
“There is a strict speed limit of thirty miles per hour on this road.”
“The legal team argued that the company had reached the upper limit of its borrowing capacity under the current credit agreement.”
02mathematical value
C1 · Advanced Countable noun Mathematics Technical
n. a value that a series of numbers gets closer and closer to.
n. a fixed value that a sequence or function approaches as the variable or index increases or decreases.
日本語:極限※
“The students learned how to calculate the limit of the function as x approaches zero.”
“The proof demonstrates that the sequence has a finite limit, confirming that the series converges rather than diverges toward infinity.”
Synonyms
03an annoying person
C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Informal · British English
n. someone or something that is very annoying or hard to tolerate.
n. a person or situation that is perceived as exasperating or intolerable.
“He really is the limit sometimes, always arriving late and forgetting his wallet.”
“Her constant interruptions during the briefing were quite the limit, testing the patience of even the most composed managers.”
Synonyms
04to restrict
B1 · Intermediate
v. to stop something from increasing or to keep it below a certain point.
v. to set a boundary or restriction on the amount, size, or range of something.
“You should try to limit the amount of sugar you eat every day.”
“The government decided to limit the number of new visas issued this year to manage the sudden influx of seasonal workers.”
Usage
This is a transitive verb and requires a direct object.
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “limit” in context.
Verb
01. currently limit
“New regulations currently limit the amount of waste factories can produce.”
adv + verb
02. limit ability
“High costs often limit the ability of students to study abroad.”
verb + noun
03. limit access
“The password is required to limit access to sensitive information.”
verb + noun
04. limit amount
“Doctors advise that you limit the amount of sugar in your diet.”
verb + noun
05. limit possibility
“A lack of funding will limit the possibility of further research.”
verb + noun
06. limit potential
“Negative feedback can sometimes limit the potential of young artists.”
verb + noun
07. limit power
“The new law was designed to limit the power of the president.”
verb + noun
08. limit scope
“We need to limit the scope of the project to finish it on time.”
verb + noun
09. limit usefulness
“The lack of a search feature will limit the usefulness of the app.”
verb + noun
10. severely limit
“The injury will severely limit his ability to play professional sports.”
adv + verb
Noun
11. capacity limit
“The elevator has a capacity limit of ten people for safety reasons.”
noun + noun
12. resource limit
“The software crashed because it reached the system resource limit.”
noun + noun
Real-World Examples
“This includes the two-hour time limit, which can only be turned off with a parent’s permission, as well as the night mode that blocks use between midnight and 6 a.m.” “The U.S. is subject to a statutory debt limit, or a limit to federal borrowing, which Congress has the authority to set, adjust or abolish.” “Washington would risk defaulting on its debt unless Congress and Republican President Donald Trump agree to lift the borrowing limit or abolish the debt ceiling concept altogether.” “The deal would suspend the debt limit until January 2025.” Etymology
From Middle English limit, from Old French limit, from Latin līmes (“a cross-path or balk between fields, hence a boundary, boundary line or wall, any path or road, border, limit”). Displaced native Old English ġemǣre. Doublet of limes.
From Middle English limiten, from Old French limiter, from Latin līmitō (“to bound, limit, fix, determine”), from līmes; see noun.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
Domains
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B1 PreliminaryIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.4.0–5.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 3.0–3.544–71TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.550–784
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- B1 · IntermediateOxford
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/limit
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「日本語」「カタカナ語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0